Bolooka e-commerce bringing Philippine artisanal crafts to the world

Southeast Asia has a new e-commerce provider with a unique specialty. Philippines-based Bolooka focuses on providing a global online market for craftworks created by Filipino artisans using traditional methods and indigenous materials.

Bolooka was founded by a young married couple from the Philippines who were inspired by the richness of Philippine artisanal culture. The country’s diverse landscape and abundant natural materials gave rise to a thriving tradition of arts and crafts that are unlike those found anywhere else in the world.

With thousands of islands, the Philippines has many beaches. Thus, the country’s artisans have long used seashells in a variety of ways. For instance, porcelain-like shells are often used in jewelry, clothing, and accessories, and mother-of-pearl shells are used in creative ways with lamps and chandeliers, to reflect the light while providing unusual ornamentation.

Philippine artisans also make various styles of Robinson Crusoe-like furniture out of bamboo and other native woods decorated in bold colors, as well as clothing out of rare fabrics. For centuries these products were only available to locals and visiting tourists, but Bolooka is trying to change that.

The artisans that make these products are spread out all over the country, often in remote areas close to the sources of the raw materials. Thus it is part of Bolooka’s job to travel around the country building relationships with these people, who generally have no prior experience with e-commerce and many of whom have little concept of the internet. This is one of the many challenges in Bolooka’s business model, but the company’s founders say they are in this for the long haul.

Southeast Asia has a new e-commerce provider with a unique specialty. Philippines-based Bolooka focuses on providing a global online market for craftworks created by Filipino artisans using traditional methods and indigenous materials.

Bolooka was founded by a young married couple from the Philippines who were inspired by the richness of Philippine artisanal culture. The country’s diverse landscape and abundant natural materials gave rise to a thriving tradition of arts and crafts that are unlike those found anywhere else in the world.

With thousands of islands, the Philippines has many beaches. Thus, the country’s artisans have long used seashells in a variety of ways. For instance, porcelain-like shells are often used in jewelry, clothing, and accessories, and mother-of-pearl shells are used in creative ways with lamps and chandeliers, to reflect the light while providing unusual ornamentation.

Philippine artisans also make various styles of Robinson Crusoe-like furniture out of bamboo and other native woods decorated in bold colors, as well as clothing out of rare fabrics. For centuries these products were only available to locals and visiting tourists, but Bolooka is trying to change that.

The artisans that make these products are spread out all over the country, often in remote areas close to the sources of the raw materials. Thus it is part of Bolooka’s job to travel around the country building relationships with these people, who generally have no prior experience with e-commerce and many of whom have little concept of the internet. This is one of the many challenges in Bolooka’s business model, but the company’s founders say they are in this for the long haul.